Heroin bust is sheriff’s largest ever

The Albany County Sheriff’s Office made what it described as its largest heroin bust ever Thursday afternoon, arresting alleged high-ranking members of a ring that shuttled the drug to users in taxis and posted dealers inside local malls.

Roughly a pound of uncut heroin was found at an apartment at 1779 Central Ave., Sheriff Craig Apple said.

Dealers would rent taxis and use them to deliver heroin but never carry passengers, Apple said. The dealers would cover the rental cost with cash they said was from fares.

Dave & Buster’s, a massive restaurant/arcade that opened in Crossgates last year, was one of the dealers’ popular spots, Apple said. Dealers would sit at the bar there or in the game room with a cellphone, taking calls from buyers and then meeting them nearby, he added. The dealers also often stationed themselves at food courts in both malls, Apple said.